CALIFORNIA’S FOURTH CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENT Summary Report from Tribal and Indigenous Communities within California Coordinating Agencies: CALIFORNIA’S FOURTH CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENT Introduction to California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment alifornia is a global leader in using, investing in, and advancing research to set proactive climate change policy, and its Climate Change Assessments provide the scientifc foundation for understanding climate- related vulnerability at the local scale and informing resilience actions. The Climate Change Assessments directly inform State policies, plans, programs, and guidance to promote effective and integrated action to Csafeguard California from climate change. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment (Fourth Assessment) advances actionable science that serves the growing needs of state and local-level decision-makers from a variety of sectors. Tis cutting-edge research initiative is comprised of a wide-ranging body of technical reports, including rigorous, comprehensive climate change scenarios at a scale suitable for illuminating regional vulnerabilities and localized adaptation strategies in California; datasets and tools that improve integration of observed and projected knowledge about climate change into decision- making; and recommendations and information to directly inform vulnerability assessments and adaptation strategies for California’s energy sector, water resources and management, oceans and coasts, forests, wildfres, agriculture, biodiversity and habitat, and public health. In addition, these technical reports have been distilled into summary reports and a brochure, allowing the public and decision-makers to easily access relevant fndings from the Fourth Assessment. • A concise summary of the Fourth Assessment’s most important fndings and conclusions. • An in-depth report on how California’s people, built KEY FINDINGS environment, and ecosystems will be impacted by climate change and how we can proactively adapt, based on the Fourth Assessment’s fndings. • Reports summarizing Fourth Assessment fndings to STATEWIDE SUMMARY provide a state of the science for nine regions, the ocean and coast, tribal communities, and climate justice in California. SUMMARIES FOR REGIONS AND COMMUNITIES • Academic research that provides robust and detailed results on resilience and vulnerability to climate change. ORIGINAL RESEARCH TO • A shared foundation of updated climate change INFORM POLICY AND ACTION projections, data and ecosystem models developed for use by Assessment authors to permit cross-comparability of results and ensure the fndings consider a robust range ASSESSMENT FOUNDATION: UPDATED CLIMATE PROJECTIONS AND DATA of future climate conditions. These data are available to the public via Cal-Adapt.org. All research contributing to the Fourth Assessment was peer-reviewed to ensure scientifc rigor as well as, where applicable, appropriate representation of the practitioners and stakeholders to whom each report applies. For the full suite of Fourth Assessment research products, please visit: www.ClimateAssessment.ca.gov Fourth Climate Change Assessment Tribal and Indigenous Communities | 2 CALIFORNIA’S FOURTH CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENT Tribal and Indigenous Communities NORTH CLIMATE COAST JUSTICE REGION SACRAMENTO TRIBAL VALLEY COMMUNITIES REGION SIERRA SAN FRANCISCO NEVADA BAY AREA REGION REGION SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY REGION CENTRAL COAST OCEAN REGION AND COAST COMMUNITIES INLAND DESERT LOS ANGELES REGION REGION SAN DIEGO REGION The Summary Report from Tribal and Indigenous Communities within California is part of a series of 12 assessments to support climate action by providing an overview of climate-related risks and adaptation strategies tailored to specifc regions and themes. Produced as part of California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment as part of a pro bono initiative by leading climate experts, these summary reports translate the state of climate science into useful information for decision-makers and practitioners to catalyze action that will beneft regions, the ocean and coast, frontline communities, and tribal and indigenous communities. The Summary Report from Tribal and Indigenous Communities within California presents an overview of climate science, specifc strategies to adapt to climate impacts, and key research gaps needed to spur additional progress on safeguarding Tribal Communities from climate change. Fourth Climate Change Assessment Tribal and Indigenous Communities | 3 CALIFORNIA’S FOURTH CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENT Summary Report from Tribal and Indigenous Communities* COORDINATING LEAD CONTRIBUTING EDITORS LEAD AUTHOR AUTHORS AUTHORS Stephanie Lucero Ron Goode, Shasta Gaughen The Lead Authors’ Senior Mediator, College Tribal Chairman, Pala Band of Mission contributions were framed North Fork Mono Tribe and developed through of Continuing Education, Indians input and assistance of the Sacramento State Marissa Fierro following Tribal Advisory Jana Ganion Pit River Tribe Committee: Sustainability and Environmental Protection Anecita Agustinez Government Afairs Department California Department of Director, Blue Lake Water Resources Rancheria Don Hankins California State University Dirk Charley Dunlap Band of Mono – Chico; California Indian Indians Water Commission Mike Connolly Keir Johnson-Reyes Campo Tribe of Kumeyaay Intertribal Agriculture Indians Council Reba Fuller Beth Rose Middleton Tuolumne Band of University of California, Me-wuk Davis Marcos Guerrero United Auburn Indian Teri Red Owl Community Owens Valley Indian Water Darcie Houck Commission Attorney at Law Randy Yonemura Rob Roy California Indian Water La Jolla Band of Luiseo Commission Indians * This report was authored by tribal leaders and scientists who volunteered their time and expertise to bring perspectives, experience, data, and practices to this climate effort. Disclaimer: This report summarizes recent climate research, including work sponsored by the California natural Resources Agency and California Energy Commission. The information presented here does not necessarily represent the views of the fnding agencies of the State of California. Fourth Climate Change Assessment Tribal and Indigenous Communities | 4 CALIFORNIA’S FOURTH CLIMATE CHANGE ASSESSMENT Executive Summary Tis inaugural Tribal and Indigenous Communities Report within the Fourth California Climate Change Assessment showcases tribes’ innovative strategies and actions to address climate change. Te report defnes key climate impacts at the nexus of tribal lands, histories, and current conditions, describes stressors that amplify climate impacts within tribal communities, and proposes overall recommendations for future Assessment(s), including areas of study, climate actions that incorporate traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and expanding areas of state/tribal collaboration. A focus of this report is TEK and related collaborative work with Tribes. Te included case studies illustrate how TEK is unique to each tribe and underpins many tribes’ environmental management and community and economic development approaches. TEK-based methods are gaining a revitalized position within a larger statewide toolset to combat the causes and efects of climate change by tribal and non-tribal stakeholders alike. Featured writings demonstrate the efectiveness of tribes’ TEK-based scientifc practices to solve some of the most acute climate change impacts. Te importance of maintaining TEK is not isolated to environmental and ecological improvements. Tese ancient, traditional practices are closely linked to climate resilience across tribal cultural health, identity, and continuity. Cultural practices and traditional land management are also linked to improving physical and mental health among tribal members. Conducting meadow, watershed, and fsheries restorations, building sustainable energy infrastructure, and deploying resources to work more closely with outside agencies on projects are among an extensive array of tribal actions to reverse the causes of climate change and exert bold management to restore tribal lands and the shared environment. Tis report is the frst outcome of a mutual invitation between tribes and the state to share learning with an urgent focus on climate action, and the starting point of a new productive climate conversation between tribes and the State of California. Selected highlights from this report are as follows: • Tribes within California are actively managing climate change with innovative strategies. • Habitat and watershed restoration, carbon sequestration, building sustainable infrastructure, and protecting and improving salmon runs are among an extensive array of tribal climate actions to reverse the causes of climate change and exert bold management to restore tribal lands, cultural and natural resources, and the shared environment. • Tribal climate actions and solutions combine ancient history and generational and place-based knowledge from the symbiotic relationship between climate, environment, and human activity. • Prior to Euro-American contact, tribes were the land stewards throughout California, and used a wide array of techniques to maintain an environment capable of supporting large, thriving human populations. Tese practices varied from tribe to tribe, but generally focused on ecosystem interconnectivity, respecting the carrying capacity of the land, and viewing humans as an integral part of the environment. • Tribes are utilizing and blending traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) science